


dancing with our hands tied

by belgiques



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Missing Scene, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 04:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17216879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belgiques/pseuds/belgiques
Summary: "I'm sorry," Newt suddenly said, softly but firmly. He went to stand in front of her in a flash. She turned her head up in confusion. He looked sheepish and she jumped slightly when his hand grabbed hers. "I'm probably going to step on your toes."---A missing moment and slight variation on the speakeasy scene in the first Fantastic Beasts film.





	dancing with our hands tied

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This idea has been in my head since I saw the first film, and I've finally gotten it out. I hope you enjoy reading it.

The speakeasy was becoming crowded rather rapidly. Gnarlak hadn't shown up yet, and Tina was near the bar with Newt, surveying the crowd. Although he was currently telling Jacob more about the house elves and how often they were mistreated. She smiled, charmed by his never-ending empathy for all kinds of beings. What a strange couple of days it had been. Two men had entered the Goldstein sisters' lives and Tina had a feeling that things wouldn't quite be the same from now on. 

Jacob's giggle followed him as he brought another shot of gigglewater to Queenie, and Newt was looking around with a frown, probably noticing the increasing amount of people. Tina didn't mind a crowd, because it would be easier to blend in. But more people also probably meant more people she'd locked up at one point. 

"I'm sorry," Newt suddenly said, softly but firmly. He went to stand in front of her in a flash. She turned her head up in confusion. He looked sheepish and she jumped slightly when his hand grabbed hers. "I'm probably going to step on your toes."

She barely had time to process that before he pulled her away.

 - - - 

Tina's heart was pounding a mile a minute as Newt glanced at her. She tried to smile reassuringly but her mind was still trying to process what just happened. They were dancing. Yup, they definitely were.

"What are you doing?" she tried, going for the obvious question. 

"I apologize. I didn't know what else to do."

"You could've just asked me," she replied, a bit miffed at the amusement in his voice. The hand that wasn't holding hers was resting on her ribs instead of her waist. Almost instinctively, she guided it lower. She made another sound when he abruptly led her further back into the room, pulling her slightly closer. 

"I'd rather not be doing this, trust me," he said hurriedly, adjusting his hand to move to her back. 

"Oh."

"Oh, no! Tina, that's not-- Some guys were looking at you crossly. I was trying to make a hasty getaway."

"Oh."

He had noticed Queenie trying to grab his attention with her urgent and rather obvious waving, and it didn't take long for him to catch on that there were some very ominous-looking guys glaring at Tina, making as though they were about to stand up any second. And they definitely couldn't make a scene in this joint - MACUSA was everywhere, apparently.

The singer was performing a slow song now, and luckily they weren't the only ones dancing. Good to know regular people visited this establishment too - or criminal couples, perhaps. 

"I'm not much of a dancer, really," Newt said after a few quiet moments. He adjusted her hand in his and smiled knowingly. 

She barely refrained from scoffing at that. He was a good dancer. She didn't know if she should be surprised by that, because as men went, he was quite graceful in his movements. His grip on her back and hand was now steady and careful all at once, and it was so Newt that it made her smile. She tried to focus on his bowtie to hide her amusement. 

He noticed, of course. "What's so funny?"

"If you're not much of a dancer, why are you so good at it?" she replied, her eyes crinkling with mirth. 

He returned her smile but seemed a bit flustered at the compliment. He looked around the room once more, his face thoughtful. "My mother taught my brother and me," he told her softly. 

She'd wondered about Newt's brother ever since the British Minister had mentioned him at MACUSA. Since Tina only had Queenie in her life, she often wondered what other people's family bonds were like. What her mother and father might have taught her and her sister if they'd lived... 

"She always said it was something gentlemen should be able to do. But I never really liked it."

"Well then, thanks for taking one for the team," she replied, grinning and catching his eyes. He chuckled lightly. 

"I-I don't mind dancing with you, though," he added quickly, looking as if he was ready to flee. She looked at him for a moment, dumbfounded. For someone claiming to not be good around people, he sure had a way with words when he wanted to.

She hoped her wide smile told him as much. "Same here, Newt."

Seeing a glint in his eyes, before Tina knew it she let out a yelp as he suddenly spun her around, his hand guiding her before pulling her back in. She laughed excitedly, letting her free hand rest on Newt's lapel. 

He immediately gave her that look again, the same he'd had on the roof, like he was studying her. The bar suddenly seemed a lot more quiet, and it was getting more difficult to focus. 

So she said the first thing she could think of. "Are you and your brother close?" 

If he found her out-of-the-blue question strange, he didn't show it. He just looked pensive for a moment, glancing at Queenie and Jacob sitting in the corner of the bar. 

"I guess so. I mean, not like you and Queenie," he clarified, and Tina looked fondly over at her sister for a moment. "I think that's quite rare for siblings. But Theseus... He was one of the few people who could tolerate me in large doses."

He grinned at his own joke and she squeezed his shoulder in return, a little angry suddenly that he thought of himself like that, even in jest. 

"We're really different," he continued all the same, "but he's always looked out for me. Theseus is a career man, so he can be a bit of a nag sometimes. But he's also kind, brave and a very hard worker."

His gaze landed on her again. "You have those qualities in common, actually. I think you'd like him."

"Well, we'll see. Chances are pretty low he'll make more of an impression on me than you did," she said, her expression knowing. 

His face seemed to redden a bit at that, and he opened his mouth to speak. "Tina--" 

He didn't even get to start his sentence though, as Queenie appeared beside them stealthily. "I'm sorry, you two, but a goblin just told me that Gnarlak's about to arrive any second now. So we'd better..." 

"Get into position. You're right. Thanks, Queenie," Tina replied, her tone only a little clipped. Queenie grinned as she walked away. Damn the power of Legilimency.

"Better get to it then," Newt said, letting go of the woman in front of him. "Thanks for the dance, Tina." 

"Next time, I'm wearing better shoes," she told him with a smile. 

She walked past him to an empty table. Newt exhaled and fiddled with his bow tie. "Thanks for the lessons, Mum," he muttered, before following Tina to the table.


End file.
